The fellow who walked me through the machine (and improperly adjusted the mask) was quite emphatic that only distilled water (or the output of reverse-osmosis, and ONLY reverse-osmosis, no filters) be used.
He was also convinced that leaving the water for 24 hours would result in pneumonia, and that the reservoir MUST be washed with soap fist thing every morning.
How much true, how much CYA should I die of lung disease?
I’m convinced the CPAP manufacturers are in cahoots with the distilled water industry. Anyway, I’ve used mine for almost two years; I wash the tank every month or so and add water (admittedly distilled) when it runs low. No p-numonnie or other serious* respiratory problems so far.
*One of my stock comments is that I’ve only had one cold in my life. I’ve had it since I was two.
I use distiller water. It’s actually more convenient to buy the gallons and have water right there by the machine than tap water would be.
But I top off the tank daily and only occasionally dump whatever’s in it and rinse or scrub with hot tap water. A toothbrush is pretty good for scrubbing, if rinsing leaves some sort of hazy film. Soap sounds like a really bad idea because soaps leave residue including perfumes.
Thanks for the reminder. I haven’t emptied mine in a month or so. It’s probably due.
Lots of people don’t wear their seatbelts, either, and manage not to die. Still makes for a pretty awful day when the dice rolls against you though.
Let’s put it this way…you need a CPAP. That alone tells me your respiratory system isn’t in the top 1% of respiratory systems out there. Bacterial pneumonia and mold infections aren’t fun even if you’re Michael Phelps. RTFM and do what it says.
I tried to read the instructions for the friggin’ mask (nasal - I wear a beard) - not only was it in 19 languages (both simplified and Traditional Chinese), but the font size would give a 10 yr old eye strain.
I can’t imagine what all it had to say - it took 4 paragraphs to tell you how to adjust 2 straps.
I’m afraid to even look at the damned machine’s booklet.
And readin manuals is for wimps. Didn’t Heinlein have something pithy to say about reading manuals?
LOL. Fair enough. Let me sum up:
[ul]
[li]Remove chamber from humidifier carefully so water doesn’t enter your CPAP machine.[/li]
[li]Open chamber and wash with warm, soapy water.[/li]
[li]Rinse well with water and allow to dry on a clean cloth or paper towel out of direct sunlight.[/li]
[li]Fill with distilled or sterile water. Do not use tap water as it may contain minerals and chemicals that can damage components of the machine. It is also not recommended to use filtered water (i.e. through a Brita filter) for the same reasons.[/li]
[li]Once a week the humidifier chamber should be soaked in a solution of 1 part white vinegar 3 parts water for approximately 15-20 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with distilled water.[/li]
[li]Some humidifier chambers are dishwasher safe, but make sure to check your CPAP machine’s manual before cleaning in a dishwasher.[/li]
[li]Humidifier chambers should be replaced every 6 months or as needed.[/li][/ul]
http://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/cpap-equipment-cleaning-maintenance-best-practices-tips
That works for every CPAP I’ve ever had to deal with. I can’t guarantee it’s the ideal method for your CPAP, but it’s pretty generically how you do it the best way possible. 
If the best way possible isn’t going to work for you, then you can cheat by emptying the chamber every morning and let it air dry outside of the unit (and while you’re at it, wipe down the mask and tubing with a clean cloth moistened with a little mild detergent and water, then wiped with a cloth dampened with just water). Follow the above directions for a thorough cleaning once a week, and your CPAP probably won’t kill you.
Well …
71 years & 10 months + an few days, seat belts have been needed zero times in all the riding, driving, flying in airplanes, piloting small ones, ( except for acrobatics & negative G’s done in open cockpit acrobatics ) thank God they are unavailable on motorcycles & bicycles.
Have beard, will travel with my CPAP gun.
Used to be super careful. It was so long ago that my first did not have an insistence on distilled water, just that is was fine. As per totally untrained person who handed me the machine in parts from a sack. ( Government ways ya know )
Then I got lazy, my replacement supplies are not totally free, ( CPASP stuff is priced like government hammers, so the manufactures are raping the tax payers like so many things/people do… I digress. …
I wash the mask & tanks and hoses and stuff once a year on the same Saturday I take my bath. Every other year I do it twice, both bath & wash.
I use hot water from the tap so the water is pre-heated as I need the warm & wet right away. I do not ramp, straight to 15.
Lived in black mold infested house for 8 years. I did not get mold in the mask.
Colds & flu were same rate as the rest of the state.
Only way I am different is in my immune condition. I am reasonably careful as per what I did in 1950. Things have changed for 99.99% of the population.
Water in Mexico, I don’t drink it, as my body is not used to it, different bugs. My bugs I need no protection from. I get my shots but I do not take apart the table after every meal and clean with steam & disinfectant. I will wipe up dog drool along with mine.
What has been posted above is a good idea and 99.9999999% of the people who follow it will not have a problem. If you die anyway, rest in peace knowing that you were special. Not unique, just special.
I hate, never, always, without exception, and people being younger than I saying that my life is stupid & I will die. Every day I live, I out live 10’s of thousands who are younger than I and were oh so careful.
This has been brought to you by a cranky old man who probably should be dead but is chugging right along being stupid … Oh, I have spare parts for my CPAP in case I break something or can’t clean it any more.
“Let’s be reasonably careful out there.” Shamelessly cribbed from “Hill Street Blues.”
what is “Posted by others” above my post.
Not my post as what to do for you, mine is what I do/don’t do
OK, I’ll pick up a couple of gallons of “Special” water.
In the meantime, I wash the tank and mask in warm water and dishwashing detergent and air dry.
Why this needs to be out of direct sunlight (we are trying to kill germs here, right? Direct sunshine is a good bug zapper, right) is one of those things not worth asking.
If they wanted a sterile chamber, why the hell did they mold a polycarbonate shell onto a steel stamping? The seam does not look like it was even “caulked” - there is a hard crevice at the seam - perfect for culturing bugs.
Ah, Medicare.
And I really don’t like it broadcasting my sleep patterns to the damned web - there is actually a website where I, the Doc, the provider, and Medicare (and anybody wanting to know when I’m asleep) can look it up.
With any luck, my kidneys will hurry up and kill me before the machines start telling me when and how to sleep.
You’re trying to wash away germs, yes, but direct sunlight also kills plastic.
Aren’t these the reservoirs disposable?
How many years would it take for the plastic to rot at a rate of an hour a day?
This plastic is the same as is used on headlamp covers - which sit in direct sunlight for years before hazing.
As if hazing renders the thing unusable.
I’m confused. Officially around the bend, too old to understand these new-fangled thingies…
My reservoir is thin metal, with a plastic cover. I assume the metal is there to allow the heating element to work efficiently.
Just because it’s distilled doesn’t mean it’s sterile, although it should. I’ve seen carboys of distilled water grow algae. Since you don’t have the protection of chlorine, dumping the water daily/letting the tank & hose air dry keeps scary and pathogenic microbes at a level your immune system should fight off.
Actually I suggested adding bleach (the stuff used to chlorinate pools) and the fellow assured me to never use anything more than vinegar. Because… well, he really didn’t seem to comprehend.
I guess he holds his breath while swimming, because the air contains bleach (sodium hypochlorite).
I used a very mild bleach water solution to clean my tank once. It took 3 days before it stopped smelling like an indoor swimming pool. Now I’ve switched to the “clean it once in a blue moon” strategy.
I think a bit less than a drop would raise the chlorine level to more than adequate.
I have syringes, but no pipettes, so it’d be a crap shoot.
I can see the metal/plastic joint as a very poor design for something that is supposed to be sterile.
One of my old ones has a large metal plate with a gasket& it is pushed in from the outside. Tank is plastic. Pop out the plate, clean tank through the big hole you can put your hand in, the tank is smooth, no sneaky places for bad critters, etc. Connection to the blower is a heavy surgical looking preformed tube that is also removable.
Never have seen a better design.
My newest that they made me get has all kinds of strength mouldings, the metal is small & round and semi perment with screws. Don’t mess with.
Cleaning is an all day soaking and hours with a tooth brush and it it still is not really clean. May try having it steam cleaned someplace. snerk
Not really, they will demand that I replace it before it can get grungy enough to stop ME from using it. I get backup tanks this way. Bawahahaha
Am I the only one who doesn’t even fill the reservoir? I have NEVER used the humidifier and I’ve never had a problem. Hell, my first two machines didn’t even HAVE attached humidifiers and my pulmonary specialists never even suggested them.
Perhaps a nitpick, but the OP was only referring to the “preferred” method of dumping, cleaning and refilling the humidifier tank daily. Everything from the CPAP to the face is a different matter. For the record, I clean the cushion at least weekly and replace it monthly. Filters are also cleaned/changed monthly, and the hose every three months (though I’ve never detected any sign of mold or mildew).
Now if it were up to the supply company that robocalls me, I’d be replacing everything on a daily basis (for a nominal fee).